WHO ARE YOUR FAVORITE WRITERS AND WHY?
My favorite writers are Kafka, Camus, Nietzsche, and Shakespeare. It is impossible to explain why I like these writers without sounding bombastic (see, I already sound bombastic...)
WHAT ARE YOUR INTERESTS OUTSIDE OF WRITING?
Music. I love Mozart and the Beatles. I am also a huge fan of Britpop, particularly Oasis and Blur. I have been playing guitar since I was a teenager, and have studied classical guitar in more recent years.
I love dogs, especially pit bulls and boxers. I have an eight-year-old pup named Zoe, half-boxer and half-pit bull - the perfect combination!
I'm also a big basketball fan. My team is the Philadelphia 76ers, but they have been one of the worst teams in the league for quite some time now. I follow the NBA avidly and also participate in a highly competitive fantasy basketball league.
WHAT'S THE STORY BEHIND YOUR LATEST BOOK?
When I visited the Louvre, I was overwhelmed by the mammoth painting by David - The Coronation of Napoleon I. I decided that this momentous historical event was an ideal canvas on which to explore the philosophical question - how could a day as august as this carry with it no specialness, no significance, no preeminence?
WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO BECOME AN INDIE AUTHOR?
Like many writers, I wanted to at least be able to say my work was "published" and to also, hopefully, get a few readers along the way. After a few halfhearted attempts at entering the traditional publishing world, I knew that becoming an indie author was the better (and only) option.
DO YOU HAVE ANY WRITING RITUALS?
Nothing too romantic. Lately, I have been listening to Mozart while writing. I am listening to his compositions in chronological order, beginning with the pieces he wrote when he was about 5 years old, and ending with his last piece - the Requiem. Right now, I am about halfway through. You can hear how much even Mozart improved from year to year. It's a very cool experience.
WHAT IS THE GREATEST JOY OF WRITING FOR YOU?
The greatest joy is going back and reading what you've written and finding it to be good writing - obviously!
TELL US A STORY INVOLVING YOUR WRITING CAREER.
When I was in college, I took a few writing courses. One of my professors gave me a C in my Introduction to Fiction course. I pleaded with him to raise it to a B, but he refused, noting that I was routinely late for class and also mentioning that he did not care for Kafka. This experience (among other things) motivated me to write a great first novel, as, out of revenge, I wanted it to be published for my professor to see. Seven years later or so, that desire for revenge has long since evaporated (although I still wouldn't mind if he received word that I'd been published, assuming he even remembers me). I've learned that, with writing, interpersonal conflicts should not be the motivation, as these usually die out far before the words on the page. I've also learned that I was more immature than I would have thought at 22.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FOOD?
I try to eat a very natural diet - anything that wouldn't have been around one thousand years ago, I tend not to eat. This can be harder to determine than you would think.
I really like dates, dried figs, bread and butter, lagers, Indian food, fish & chips, and white pizza.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE WORLD?
Probably the South of France. I studied there for a semester in college when I was 21. It was an incredibly beautiful place, filled with artists and university students, delicious baguettes and sheep's cheese, and medieval streets and churches. I was so naïve then, I actually thought that in France people still would talk about Louis XIV and courtly love poetry. I miss this time in my life, when everything was new, and when I thought I had enough time to accomplish whatever I wanted in life.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE?
Either Amadeus or A Man for All Seasons.
WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER ON GAME OF THRONES?
My favorite "evil" character is Tywin Lannister. He was terrifying in the most subtle ways. And I also still found him likable and even respectable from time to time.
My favorite "good" character is probably Arya. Her scrappiness and fearlessness is a thing to behold.
